MILWAUKEE — Jordy Mercer is the No. 8 guy in the in the Pirates’ lineup, so nobody really expects him to hit. When he doesn’t, however, it still gets under his skin.

Great things are expected from cleanup hitter Josh Bell. It’s been doubly humbling for him to lug around a sub-.240 bating average and a homer tally that’s been stuck at one for five weeks.

Two batters, two slumps. Do home runs carry further when they’re hit from the bottom of an abyss? Mercer and Bell certainly hope so. On Sunday, they each hit a solo home run — soft of bookends in a 9-0 victory against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park — that might signal better days ahead.

Mercer went deep in the second inning, turning on a 93 mph fastball from Chase Anderson. It was the first of the year for Mercer, who last season hit a career-best 14 home runs.

“Finally,” Mercer said. “I was waiting for a pitcher to hit one before I did. It’s good to get it...